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Chapter 22 of 25
皇极经世
"Huangji Jingshi · Guanwu Waipian Yanyi" Volume Six
Creatures that receive the auspice of heavenly qi are inherently inclined toward movement; creatures that receive the auspice of earthly qi are inherently inclined toward stillness. 🌬 What moves pertains to the Way of Heaven; what is still pertains to the Principle of Earth.
The primordial form of yang is round, yet after taking shape it manifests as square; the primordial form of yin is square, yet after taking shape it manifests as round. This reveals the transformation of yin and yang between their primordial (xiantian) and manifested (houtian) states.
The trunks and branches of trees, being dense and firm in texture, are primarily condensed from the qi of earth and stone, and thus are not easily altered; leaves and flowers, being nurtured by the qi of water and fire, transform readily and rapidly. 🌱
The East is red, the South is white, the West is yellow, and the North is black—these are the proper colors of the four directions. Verified at dawn, noon, dusk, and deep night, this can be observed accordingly.
At the winter solstice, within the position of Zi (midnight), lies the extreme of yin qi; at the spring equinox, within the position of Mao (dawn), lies the midpoint of yang qi; at the summer solstice, within the position of Wu (noon), lies the extreme of yang qi; at the autumn equinox, within the position of You (dusk), lies the midpoint of yin qi. In total, there are three hundred and sixty degrees, each half comprising one hundred and eighty degrees—this is the distance between the two solstices and the two equinoxes.
Within yang there is yin, and within yin there is yang—this is the universal law of Heaven's operation. Yang within yang is the Great Sun, representing the path of summer heat; yang within yin is the Moon, which, belonging to the yang category, can appear in the daytime; yin within yang is the Stars, which therefore appear in the night sky; yin within yin is the Chen (dark, non-luminous celestial bodies), the dark matter between heaven and earth.
"Chen" is to Heaven what the physical body is to Heaven-and-Earth. Earth has the Five Elements (Wuxing); Heaven has the Five Latitudes (the five major planets). Earth possesses only the two qi of water and fire; Heaven also possesses the sun and moon—the moon is true water, the sun is true fire. The true essences of yin and yang give rise to the Five Elements therefrom. Therefore, the numbers of Heaven and Earth are each five, yet the yang number alone is replete to seven. Thus, beyond the human body's five viscera, there are also the pericardium and the mingmen (life-gate), together making seven. The true heart corresponds to Lihuo (fire of separation), and the mingmen corresponds to Kanshui (water of the abyssal). The five viscera emerge therefrom—this is the ruler of spirit, the root of nature and destiny.
Gan (heavenly stems) signifies the trunk, belonging to yang; Zhi (earthly branches) signifies the branches, belonging to yin. There are ten heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches—this is yang numbers concealing yin, and yin numbers concealing yang.
Fish belong to the water-dwelling class; insects belong to the wind-dwelling class.
The eyes and mouth are protruding (protrusions), while the ears and nose are openings (apertures). The apertures receive sound and smell odors—things cannot close them off; the protrusions observe color and distinguish flavors—things can close them off. Though these four share the same form within one body, each possesses the attributes of one of the four directions.
Water is the dwelling place of fire; fire is the vital transformation of water. Black is the foundation of white; cold is the foundation of heat.
Beasts that crawl through grass have fur resembling grass stalks; birds that perch in forests have feathers resembling leaves—this is the nature of their kind. Things that bloom from stone, such as saltpeter and mirabilite. Aquatic creatures and terrestrial creatures are fundamentally no different; each possesses its nature of cold and heat. In general: land is yang within yin, and water is yin within yang.
The sun, moon, stars, and celestial bodies (Chen) together constitute Heaven; water, fire, earth, and stone together constitute Earth; the ears, eyes, nose, and mouth together constitute the head; marrow, blood, bones, and flesh together constitute the body—this is the number "five."
Fire is born from "non-being" (wu); water is born from "being" (you).
From Chen to the sun (Ri) is generation; from the sun to Chen is function. Following the order is generation; reversing the order is function.
The Zhouyi (Book of Changes) has three hundred and eighty-four line statements—this is true astronomy.
Hawks and falcons eat only live prey, while chickens and the like do not exclusively eat live prey. Tigers and leopards eat live prey, while cats and dogs eat both live prey and cooked food. By extending this pattern, one can understand [the nature of all things].
Horses and oxen both belong to the yin category, but upon finer division, horses are yang and oxen are yin.
Flying creatures delight in wind and are swift at soaring upward; running creatures delight in earth and benefit from moving downward.
The eggs of birds and insects resemble the fruits and vegetables of plants. Birds produce many offspring, and insects do as well.
Silkworms, in this year, transform into moths and lay eggs; the following year, the eggs transform into silkworms. Turnips and similar plants, this year form roots and grow leaves; the following year, the foliage produces seeds. These are all life cycles of creatures lasting one year. 🔄
When Heaven's qi operates from north to south, the world is greatly governed (well ordered); when it operates from south to north, the world falls into chaos. When chaos persists for a long time, it reverts to operating from north to south. The Way of Heaven and human affairs are both like this. Extending this to successive dynasties, one can observe the principle of waxing and waning.
Creatures in water do not blink (having no eyelids); creatures in wind (air) do blink. Among running creatures, the lower eyelid meets the upper; among flying creatures, the upper eyelid meets the lower—this too is the nature of their kind.
Those in water that have scales and shells belong to the flying class; turtles and otters belong to the running class.
If the Four Images are applied in intricate interweaving: sun and moon are the yin and yang of Heaven; water and fire are the yin and yang of Earth; stars are the hardness and softness (gangrou) of Heaven; earth and stone are the hardness and softness of Earth.
Among flying creatures, there are those with characteristics of running beasts, such as chickens and ducks; among running creatures, there are those with characteristics of flying, such as dragons and horses.
Yang governs expansion and enduring length; yin governs urgency and contraction. When the sun's movement enters the phase of excess (ying), it is yin following yang; when it enters the phase of contraction (suo), it is yang following yin.
Spirit (shen) is the ruler of the human being. When about to sleep, the spirit resides in the spleen; during deep sleep, the spirit resides in the kidneys; when about to wake, the spirit resides in the liver; when fully awake, the spirit resides in the heart.
The great awakening of Heaven and Earth occurs in summer; the spirit of the human being resides in the heart.
Water-dwelling creatures take yin as primary and yang as secondary; land-dwelling creatures take yang as primary and yin as secondary. Therefore, water creatures die when they leave the water, and wind creatures die when they enter the water. Yet there are also those capable of traversing both realms, such as turtles, crabs, geese, and ducks.
The degree of interpenetration between Heaven and Earth is three-tenths.
Heavenly fire is fire without physical form; earthly fire is fire with physical form. Fire originally has no form; it acquires form through relying on material substance. The fire of metal and stone is more intense than the fire of grass and wood—this is because the material it relies upon differs.
When qi and form are flourishing, then the hun (ethereal soul) and po (corporeal soul) flourish; when qi and form are debilitated, the hun and po correspondingly weaken.
Hun (ethereal soul) transforms with qi, po (corporeal soul) settles with form. Therefore, when form exists, po exists; when form perishes, po disperses.
Stars are the residual qi of the sun; Chen (dark celestial bodies) are the residual qi of the moon. Among stars, the tiniest ones like sand and dust, after falling, accumulate into mounds of earth.
Zang (viscera) belongs to the functioning of Heaven; fu (bowels) belongs to the functioning of Earth. When Heaven and Earth operate together, they combine to form the Eight Trigrams.
When the Eight Trigrams interweave with one another, they generate the Sixty-four Hexagrams through their mutual interpenetration.
The foundation of the I Ching lies in Qian and Kun, and its generation commences with the hexagrams Gou and Fu. When yang first meets yin, it forms Fu; when yin first meets yang, it forms Gou—and from this, an infinite succession arises.
The dragon can be great or small, yet there are forces that can restrain it. It is governed by the qi of yin and yang; when the time is right, it can transform, but when the moment has passed, it can no longer change.
An intercalary month in a year contains six yin and six yang. Three years accumulate thirty-six days, hence an intercalary month occurs every three years. Five years accumulate sixty days, hence a second intercalary month occurs within five years.
In the Xiantian (Primordial) Diagram, this is the Way of the Ring's Center.
The moon's substance is originally dark; it becomes white by receiving the light of the sun. Water in the human body corresponds to blood; earth in the human body corresponds to flesh.
The gallbladder and kidneys both belong to yin; the heart and spleen both belong to yang. The heart governs the eyes; the spleen governs the [mouth].
Yang within yang is the sun (Ri); yang within yin is the moon (Yue); yin within yang is the stars (Xing); yin within yin is the celestial bodies (Chen). Softness within softness is water; softness within hardness is fire; hardness within softness is earth; hardness within hardness is stone.
The qi of [color] is seen through the eyes; the words of the mouth are heard by the ears—this is because like categories respond to like.
The "leaning-cover theory" (Qi Gai Shuo) maintains that Mount Kunlun, surrounded on all sides, descends into the seas. Examining this principle, however, it is not so. The Earth is square, upright, and still—how could it be like the revolving, circular motion of Heaven?
Animals begin growth from the head; plants begin growth from the roots. For creatures that begin from the head, their foundation lies in the head; for creatures that begin from the roots, their foundation lies in the roots.
Ocean tides are the respiration of the great Earth. That they correspond with the moon is because like categories respond to like.
Zhen (Thunder) is dragon—one yang line stirring beneath two yin lines constitutes Zhen. Beneath the deep abyss there is a creature—is it not the dragon?
Wind-dwelling creatures and water-dwelling creatures are opposite in size.
The yang position of Heaven is in the southeast, where the sun and moon reside. The yin position of Earth is in the northwest, where fire and stone reside.
The passage "Arising from Zhen, ending at Gen" illuminates the King Wen sequence of the Eight Trigrams. The passage "Heaven and Earth occupy their fixed positions" illuminates the Fuxi sequence of the Eight Trigrams. "The Eight Trigrams interweave with one another" illuminates their mutual interpenetration generating the sixty-four hexagrams. "Counting the past is proceeding (shun)"—if one follows Heaven in its course, that is revolving leftward (counterclockwise), all being hexagrams already born—hence "counting the past." "Knowing the future is reversing (ni)"—if one goes against Heaven's course, that is revolving rightward (clockwise), all being hexagrams not yet born—hence "knowing the future." The numbers of the I Ching are precisely accomplished through reversal (ni xing).
The Yao Dian (Canon of Yao) states there are three hundred and sixty plus an additional six days (366 days). If the sun's surplus is replete to six, then the moon's surplus is also replete to six. If one removes the twelve days of surplus between sun and moon, the result is three hundred and fifty-four—this is the number of days of the sun's movement. Dividing by twelve yields twenty-nine days (the approximate length of the synodic month).
The Suwen (Plain Questions) states: The lungs govern the skin and body hair, the heart governs the vessels, the spleen governs the flesh, the liver governs the sinews, and the kidneys govern the bones. From top to bottom, from outside to inside. The intersection of cardiac blood and renal bone is the method of intercrossing (jiao fa)—intercrossing means function.
Qian is the fundamental image of the heavenly category; its manifestation as metal, and the like, is a derived image.
When Heaven and Earth operate together, the viscera and bowels are paired. Four viscera correspond to Heaven; four bowels correspond to Earth.
Qian is odd-numbered, belonging to yang, symbolizing strength (jian)—therefore the strongest thing under Heaven is none other than Heaven. Kun is even-numbered, belonging to yin, symbolizing compliance (shun)—therefore the most compliant thing under Heaven is none other than Earth, which thus follows Heaven above. Zhen is initiation of movement—one yang line rising from below—therefore the most stirring thing under Heaven is none other than thunder. Kan is the abyss—one yang line sunk within two yin lines—therefore the most abyss-like thing under Heaven is none other than water. Gen is cessation—one yang line arriving here and stopping—therefore the most still thing under Heaven is none other than
mountain. Xun is penetration—one yin line entering beneath two yang lines—therefore the most penetrating thing under Heaven is none other than wind. Li is adherence (attachment)—one yin line attaching itself between two yang lines; its hexagram forms a pattern of intertwined brightness—therefore the most brilliant/adorned thing under Heaven is none other than fire; it also carries the meaning of "attachment." Dui is joy—one yin line emerging outward and delighting in things—therefore the most joy-giving thing under Heaven is none other than the marsh/lake.
Fire is dark within and bright without, hence the Li hexagram has its yang lines on the outside. The function of fire is to use its outward brightness.
Why does the human being lodge its form among the running class? Because the running class is the eldest son of Earth.
From Tai (Harmony) to Pi (Stagnation), there lies Gu (Corruption) in between. From Pi to Tai, there lies Sui (Following) in between.
Heaven has five celestial bodies (Wu Chen): sun, moon, stars, dark celestial bodies (chen), and Heaven itself, together making five. Earth has five elements (Wu Xing): metal, wood, water, fire, and earth itself, together making five.
There are hot springs but no cold fire—this is because yin can follow yang, but yang cannot follow yin.
Where there is thunder, there is lightning; where there is lightning, there is wind. Rain is born from water, dew is born from earth, thunder is born from stone, and lightning is born from fire. Thunder and wind are both extrema of yang, hence wherever there is lightning, there must also be wind.
Trees are hard and firm—only thunder can shake them; grass and wood are soft and supple—only dew can moisten them. 🌩
The core of this volume lies in expounding the cosmic law of yin-yang opposition and transformation, threading it through all levels of astronomy, geography, human affairs, biology, and viscera-organ correspondence. Shao Yong constructs a comprehensive system of observing things (guanwu) using the Four Images (sun-moon-stars-celestial bodies; water-fire-earth-stone) as the basic framework, with yin-yang and hardness-softness (gangrou) as the warp and woof.
Core concepts include:
Shao Yong's observational philosophy is, in effect, an ancient paradigm of systems theory and taxonomy. Through meticulous observation of natural phenomena, he abstracts the meta-categories of yin-yang and hardness-softness, and then uses these to govern all things.
| Domain | Applicable Reference |
|---|---|
| TCM & Health | Correspondence of waking/sleeping states and viscera: regulate the spleen before sleeping, nourish the kidneys in deep sleep, soothe the liver upon waking, nourish the heart during the day—provides a physiological rhythm framework for daily living |
| Environmental Choice | "Flying creatures favor wind and excel at moving upward; walking creatures favor earth and benefit from moving downward"—suggests how those of different constitutions may adapt to different dwelling environments (upper vs. lower floors, ventilation vs. shelter) |
| Decision Rhythms | "Yang governs expansion and lasting; yin governs urgency and contraction." In choice of timing, hours with abundant yang qi are suitable for long-range planning; hours of contraction suit concluding and decisive actions |
| Ecological Observation | "Water creatures die out of water; wind creatures die in water" — ecological niches are irreversible, and boundaries should be approached with caution |
| Self-Awareness | The rhythm of waking and sleeping correlates with four viscera; understanding one's own circadian rhythm and adjusting—according to "the great awakening of Heaven-and-Earth lies in Summer"—schedules of work accordingly |
Shao Yong's system touches on several profound philosophical questions:
One: "Reversal (ni shu)" and free will. The numbers of Change "arise by reversal"—counting the past follows the flow (shun), knowing the future requires contrast with (ni), i.e., going against. This implies a view of time: the past is a given current (shun), while the future requires reverse-inference from what is "not yet born." Within this frame, our knowledge of the future is not passive reception but active engagement with the current of time, even setting against it (ni tian er xing).
Two: "Fire is born from nothingness" (huo sheng yu wu) and ontology. Fire has no fixed substance—it exists by virtue of relying upon matter. This is a deep insight into the relation of "emptiness/vacuity (xu)" and "entity (shi)": certain existents—such as energy, information, consciousness—do not possess an independent bodily form, and yet, by virtue of their base in matter, they manifest transformative power. This resonates remarkably with the contemporary view of philosophy of information—information requires a physical substrate/carrier.
III. "Heaven and Earth Interact in Only Three-Tenths": Heaven and Earth interact in only three-tenths, meaning that most of the universe exists in a state of non-interaction. This incomplete union is precisely the subtlety of cosmic operation—if they interacted fully, there would be no distinction; if they did not interact at all, there would be no transformation and generation.
"Those that receive the energy of Heaven are active; those that receive the energy of Earth are still."
Heavenly energy is light, clear, and governs movement; earthly energy is heavy, turbid, and governs stillness. What kind of energy one receives from endowment determines an entity's fundamental disposition toward activity.
"Things of the yang category are round; when they take form, they become square. Things of the yin category are square; when they take form, they become round."
In the Former Heaven state, yang's image is round (as Heaven is round); after assuming concrete form in the Later Heaven state, it becomes square. In the Former Heaven state, yin's image is square (as Earth is square); after forming, it becomes round. This represents the mutual transformation of form between yin and yang in their Former Heaven and Later Heaven manifestations.
"The branches and trunks of trees are formed by earth and stone, and therefore do not easily change. The leaves and flowers are formed by water and fire, and therefore transform and change readily."
Branches and trunks are hard and durable, corresponding to the nature of earth and stone; flowers and leaves are soft and easily wilted, corresponding to the nature of water and fire. This explains the renewal frequency of plant tissues through the properties of the Five Elements.
"At the Winter Solstice's Zi hour midpoint is the extreme of yin. At the Spring Equinox's Mao hour midpoint is the median of yang. At the Summer Solstice's Wu hour midpoint is the extreme of yang. At the Autumn Equinox's You hour midpoint is the median of yin."
The correspondence between the four seasonal terminal points and the twelve Earthly Branches establishes the fundamental coordinates of yin-yang waxing and waning throughout the year. Zi and Wu mark the extremes; Mao and You mark the medians.
"Within yang there is yin; within yin there is yang—this is the Way of Heaven. The yang within yang is the sun. The yin within yang is the moon. The yang within yin are the stars. The yin within yin are the celestial markers."
The sun, moon, stars, and celestial markers are matched with four combinatorial states of yin and yang. The sun's brightness makes it the yang within yang; the moon borrows light from the sun, making it the yin within yang; stars emit their own light but weakly, making them the yang within yin; celestial markers (dark bodies) are the yin within yin. This is the core classification of Shao Yong's astronomical Four Images system.
"The moon is the true water; the sun is the true fire. The true essences of yin and yang give rise to the Five Elements."
The moon as true water and the sun as true fire are the concrete manifestations of the true essences of yin and yang. The root of the Five Elements lies in the sun and moon—a view that profoundly influenced later fortune-telling traditions in their recognition that "the sun and moon are the ancestors of the Five Elements."
"The Ten Heavenly Stems and Twelve Earthly Branches—within the yang numbers there is yin, and within the yin numbers there is yang."
The Ten Heavenly Stems are yang, yet they include the five yin stems: Yi, Ding, Ji, Xin, and Gui. The Twelve Earthly Branches are yin, yet they include the six yang branches: Zi, Yin, Chen, Wu, Shen, and Xu. This is supplementary evidence of yang containing yin and yin containing yang.
"The eyes and mouth protrude, while the ears and nose are apertures. Apertures receive sounds and smells, and things cannot easily close them off; protruding organs perceive color and distinguish flavors, and things can close them off."
The sensory organs are divided into two categories: the ears and nose are "apertures" that passively receive external stimuli (sound and odor) and cannot be voluntarily sealed off; the eyes and mouth are "protruding" organs that actively explore (seeing and tasting) and can close autonomously. This is a remarkably insightful active-passive dichotomy of sensory function.
"Water is the ground of fire; fire is the vapor of water. Blackness is the ground of whiteness; cold is the ground of heat."
Water and fire, black and white, cold and heat—each serves as the root of its opposite. This passage highlights the mutual interdependence of opposites.
"Fire is born from non-being; water is born from being."
Fire has no independent substance and exists by attaching to other things—its root of generation is "non-being." Water has substantial existence, condensed from vapor—its root of generation is "being." This distinguishes two different modes of ontology.
"The Yi (Book of Changes) has three hundred and eighty-four lines, which is the true pattern of astronomy."
The sixty-four hexagrams of the Zhou Yi contain 384 lines in total. Shao Yong believed this corresponded to the exact degrees of celestial movements, elevating the study of the Yijing to a cosmological level.
"When Heaven's qi movement goes from north to south, there is order; from south to north, there is chaos. After prolonged chaos, it will again turn from north to south."
Within China's geographic framework, the north (Yellow River basin) is the cradle of civilization. Qi movement progressing from north to south signifies civilization spreading southward and increasing development; movement from south to north often corresponds to northern peoples migrating south and social upheaval. This is a macro-historical geographic observation.
"Creatures in water do not close their eyes; creatures in wind (air) do close their eyes. Among running species, the upper eyelid comes down over the lower; among flying species, the lower eyelid comes up over the upper. Their categorical nature makes it so."
Fish have no eyelids and therefore cannot blink; terrestrial animals have eyelids and can close their eyes. Among quadrupeds, the upper eyelashes extend downward; among birds, the lower eyelashes extend upward. These observations are precise and minute, embodying the fundamental method of "observing things."
"Spirit (Shen) is what governs humans. When about to sleep, it resides in the spleen; when fast asleep, in the kidneys; when about to awaken, in the liver; when fully awake, in the heart."
The "spirit" governing consciousness is distributed across different physiological stages of the five viscera. This framework has guiding significance for sleep regulation in traditional Chinese medicine.
"Heavenly fire is fire without substance; earthly fire is fire with substance. Fire has no substance; it takes substance from things."
Heavenly fire (such as lightning and sunlight) is not bound to any specific substance; earthly fire (combustion) must rely on fuel. Fire's "substancelessness" makes it the image of transformation.
"The stars are the residual energy of the sun; the celestial markers are the residual energy of the moon."
Stars are transformed from the surplus qi of the sun, and celestial markers (dark bodies) from the surplus qi of the moon. Celestial generation is understood as a derivational relationship: "the sun begets the stars, the moon begets the celestial markers."
"The visceral organs (zang) follow the movement of Heaven; the hollow organs (fu) follow the movement of Earth. When Heaven and Earth move in tandem, they correspond to the Eight Trigrams."
The zang organs (viscera, storage type) govern storing and retention, corresponding to Heaven's movement; the fu organs (enclosure type) govern transmission and transformation, corresponding to Earth's movement. When Heaven and Earth operate in parallel and viscera are matched with hollow organs, the structure corresponds to the Eight Trigrams.
"The Yi is rooted in Qian and Kun and born from Gou and Fu. Yang intermingles with yin to form Fu; yin intermingles with yang to form Gou. From these, it unfolds infinitely onward."
Qian (Heaven) and Kun (Earth) are the foundation; Gou and Fu are the manifestation of function. The Fu hexagram (first arising of one yang) results from yang intermingling with yin; the Gou hexagram (first emergence of one yin) results from yin intermingling with yang. From these, endlessly unfolding changes of yin-yang interactions commence. This is Shao Yong's summary of the generative mechanism of the Yijing.
"The Canopy Heaven theory states that Kunlun Mountain hangs down on all four sides and is surrounded by oceans. Deductively reasoning, this is not correct—the Earth is square and still; how could it be like the round and moving Heavens?"
The "Gai Tian" (Canopy Heaven) model holds that Heaven covers the Earth like an umbrella, with Kunlun as the center surrounded by seas. Shao Yong refutes this model, upholding the traditional framework of round Heaven, square Earth, moving Heaven, and still Earth. While this judgment does not conform to modern astronomy, it embodies the spirit of rational inquiry.
"Ocean tides are the breathing of the Earth. They correspond to the moon because they follow the same category."
Tides are the "respiration" of the Earth, responding to the moon's movement. This proposition serendipitously aligns in direction with the modern understanding that "tides are primarily influenced by lunar gravitational force"—although the explanatory mechanism of "categorical correspondence" differs from gravitational theory, the directional judgment of causal connection is correct.**
"To enumerate the past is to follow the flow—proceeding along with Heaven’s movement, this is the leftward rotation of already-born hexagrams. To know the future is to move against the flow—proceeding against Heaven's movement, this is the rightward rotation of not-yet-born hexagrams. The numerical patterning of the Yi is brought to completion through this reverse (ni)."
This is an important discourse on the temporal directionality of Yi studies: "enumerating the past" is moving forward (inferring from what is known), while "knowing the future" is moving backward (seeking to understand from what is unknown). The nature of divination is fundamentally "ni" (counter-calculation)—working backwards from events that have not yet occurred to discern their principle. This presents a structural similarity to "backward reasoning" in modern decision theory.
"Qian is the singular (odd), yang, vigorous. Kun is the paired (even), yin, docile. Zhen arises. Kan descends (sinks). Gen stops. Xun enters. Li attaches/clings. Dui rejoices (delights)."
This passage provides the core essential meanings of the Eight Trigrams, continuing the tradition of the Shuogua Zhuan while being more refined. Each hexagram is defined by one core character: Qian=vigor, Kun=compliance, Zhen=arising, Kan=descending/falling into a pit, Gen=stopping, Xun=entering, Li=attaching, Dui=delighting.
"Fire is dark within but bright without. Therefore, in the Li trigram, the yang lines are on the outside—the function of fire lies in illuminating outward."
Flames are bright on the outside while within, although the temperature is higher, it is dark—hence the Li hexagram places its yang lines outward, symbolizing that fire's "function" is outward-radiating illumination. This is an exquisite deduction of the correspondence between hexagram line structure and natural phenomena.
"Why does humanity derive its bodily form from the running (quadrupedal) class? The running class is the eldest son of Earth."
Humans belong to the running class (mammals), and this class is the "eldest son of Earth." In constructing his cosmological genealogy of myriad things, Shao Yong grants the running class a special status, thereby explaining the position of humanity within the biological hierarchy.
"There are hot springs but no cold fires—yin can follow yang, but yang cannot follow yin."
Water can be heated, in some places issuing forth as warm springs out of the earth; fire cannot be made cold. Yin, being docile, may follow yang; yang, being firm, will not yield to yin. This is both an observation of natural phenomena (the directionality of heat transfer) and a judgment on the primary-subordinate relationship between yin and yang.